Three Things to Know: How did top NBA prospects fare in first weekend of NCAA tournament?

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Any well-prepared NBA front office already has a pretty complete picture of players they are considering drafting by the time the NCAA Tournament rolls around. It’s not going to move a team’s big board much at all — unless the owner comes in and changes everything because he fell in love with a player.

Last college games:

Cade Cunningham24p, 6-20 FG

Scottie Barnes8p, 4-11 FG

Franz Wagner4p, 1-10 FG

One game is not the whole picture. Breathe. It’s going to be OK.

— Matt Pennie (@matt_pennie) March 21, 2022

But there are great matchups that can help solidify — or have a team rethink a little — its evaluation of a player. So how did the biggest names in the draft do opening weekend? Here are just a few notes.

• Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren vs. Memphis’ Jalen Duren was an interesting matchup, the potential No. 1 pick going up against an NBA-level athlete and top-10 pick in Duren. Holmgren had nine points, nine rebounds and four blocks in a game that was a mixed bag for him, but he showed off his motor, resiliancy, and he impacted winning (as his Bulldogs pulled off an impressive comeback with their depth).

Clipped up Chet Holmgren’s defense vs Memphis — the good and the bad — broken down into 1 on 1 defense, pick + roll defense, rim protection + defensive rebounding. Some bright spots using his length + some struggles vs physicality. Holmgren ultimately finished a team-high +18. pic.twitter.com/QWN4bWiL1J

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 20, 2022

• The Gonzaga player who may have helped